Systems configured to locate a photonic device disposed in a living subject, and related apparatuses and methods

• US 20100070002A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rivet, Dennis J., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3785 generated by biological activity or substance, e.g. body movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

In an embodiment, a system includes a biocompatible photonic device configured for disposal within a living subject and a location-indicating aid associated with the photonic device. The location-indicating aid is configured to facilitate locating the biocompatible photonic device within the living subject. Related apparatuses and methods of use are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a biocompatible photonic device configured to be disposed within a living subject; and

a location-indicating aid associated with the photonic device and configured to facilitate locating the biocompatible photonic device within the living subject.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the location-indicating aid includes a reflective structure configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation away from the biocompatible photonic device to indicate a location thereof.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the reflective structure includes a retroreflector.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the biocompatible photonic device includes an optical-electrical converter having an optical receiving surface, and wherein the reflective structure is at least proximate to the optical receiving surface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the location-indicating aid includes a device configured to transmit one or more location-encoding signals transdermally out of the living subject encoding a location of the biocompatible photonic device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more location-encoding signals include one or more radio-frequency signals.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more location-encoding signals include one or more optical signals.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the device is configured to transmit the one or more location-encoding signals responsive to receiving a location request from an external device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the external device includes an optical power source configured to output one or more optical power signals that are transdermally transmittable into the living subject responsive to receiving the one or more location-encoding signals.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an optical power source positionable externally to the living subject and configured to output one or more optical power signals that are transdermally transmittable into the living subject.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the location-indicating aid includes clothing configured to be worn by a living subject, the clothing having one or more indicia located to be positioned in proximity to the biocompatible photonic device when worn by the living subject.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the clothing is transmissive to one or more optical power signals having at least one infrared peak wavelength, and wherein the biocompatible photonic device includes an optical-electrical converter configured to convert the at least one infrared peak wavelength into one or more electrical signals.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the location-indicating aid includes one or more indicia positioned on or below skin of the living subject and in proximity to the biocompatible photonic device.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible photonic device is enclosed in a biocompatible packaging.

22. The system of claim 1:

wherein the biocompatible photonic device includes an optical-electrical converter; and

further comprising at least one device disposed within the living subject and operably coupled to the optical-electrical converter to receive electrical energy therefrom.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one device includes at least one of a drug delivery device, a micro-electro-mechanical device, a bone extension device, a biosensor, or a neurostimulator.

24. The system of claim 1:

wherein the biocompatible photonic device includes an optical-electrical converter configured to convert one or more optical power signals, transmitted transdermally into the living subject, into electrical energy; and

further comprising;

an energy-storage device coupled to the optical-electrical converter to receive and store the electrical energy; and

at least one device coupled to the energy-storage device to receive the electrical energy therefrom.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible photonic device includes an optical-electrical converter configured to convert one or more optical power signals, transmitted transdermally, into the living subject into electrical energy.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the biocompatible photonic device includes an electrical-optical converter configured to convert one or more electrical signals into one or more optical power signals transdermally transmittable out of the living subject.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the photonic device is disposed within the living subject.

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29. A method, comprising:

transmitting one or more first signals to a living subject; and

responsive to the transmitting, receiving one or more second signals transmitted from the living subject indicative of a location of a photonic device disposed within the living subject.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein transmitting one or more first signals to a living subject includes transmitting the one or more first signals transdermally into the living subject.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein receiving one or more second signals transmitted from the living subject indicative of a location of a photonic device disposed within the living subject includes receiving the one or more second signals transmitted transdermally out of the living subject.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein:

transmitting one or more first signals to a living subject includes transmitting one or more optical signals to the living subject; and

receiving one or more second signals transmitted from the living subject indicative of a location of a photonic device disposed within the living subject includes receiving at least one of the one or more optical signals reflected from a retroreflector positioned at least proximate to the photonic device.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein:

transmitting one or more first signals to a living subject includes transmitting one or more first radio-frequency signals to the living subject; and

receiving one or more second signals transmitted from the living subject indicative of a location of a photonic device disposed within the living subject includes receiving one or more second radio-frequency signals transmitted from a radio-frequency device encoding the location of the photonic device.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein receiving one or more second signals transmitted from the living subject indicative of a location of a photonic device disposed within the living subject includes receiving one or more optical signals transmitted from a transmitter encoding the location of the photonic device.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein transmitting one or more first signals to a living subject includes transmitting the one or more first signals at a target positioned at least proximate to the living subject.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein transmitting the one or more first signals at a target positioned at least proximate to the living subject includes transmitting the one or more first signals at a reflective structure positioned on or below skin of the living subject.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein transmitting the one or more first signals at a target positioned at least proximate to the living subject includes transmitting the one or more first signals at a target positioned on clothing worn by the living subject.

41. The method of claim 29, wherein the photonic device includes an optical-electrical converter.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

responsive to the receiving the one or more second signals, transmitting one or more optical power signals to the optical-electrical converter.

43. The method of claim 29, wherein the photonic device includes an electrical-optical converter.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

responsive to the receiving the one or more second signals, receiving one or more optical power signals with the electrical-optical converter.

45. The method of claim 29, wherein the photonic device is biocompatible.

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46. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more first signals transmitted from a living subject;

targeting an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject based at least partially on information associated with the one or more first signals; and

transmitting one or more optical power signals transdermally into the living subject and to the targeted optical-electrical converter.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein receiving one or more first signals transmitted from a living subject includes receiving one or more optical signals reflected from a retroreflector positioned at least proximate to the optical-electrical converter and transmitted from the living subject.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein receiving one or more first signals transmitted from a living subject includes receiving one or more first optical signals encoding a location of the optical-electrical converter.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein receiving one or more first signals from a living subject includes receiving one or more first radio-frequency signals encoding a location of the optical-electrical converter.

51. The method of claim 46, wherein targeting an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject based at least partially on information associated with the one or more first signals includes aiming an optical power source configured to output the one or more optical power signals at the optical-electrical converter.

54. The method of claim 46, wherein transmitting one or more optical power signals transdermally into the living subject and to the targeted photonic device includes transmitting the one or more optical power signals at a target positioned at least proximate to the living subject.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein transmitting the one or more optical power signals at a target positioned at least proximate to the living subject includes transmitting the one or more optical power signals at one or more indicia positioned on or below skin of the living subject.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein transmitting the one or more optical power signals at a target positioned at least proximate to the living subject includes transmitting the one or more optical power signals at a target positioned on clothing worn by the living subject.

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57. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more first signals transmitted from a living subject;

locating an electrical-optical converter disposed within the living subject based at least partially on information associated with the one or more first signals; and

receiving one or more optical power signals transmitted transdermally out of the living subject and to an external device.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein receiving one or more first signals transmitted from a living subject includes receiving one or more optical signals reflected from a retroreflector positioned at least proximate to the electrical-optical converter and transmitted from the living subject.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein receiving one or more first signals transmitted from a living subject includes receiving one or more first optical signals encoding a location of the electrical-optical converter.

60. The method of claim 57, wherein receiving one or more first signals from a living subject includes receiving one or more first radio-frequency signals encoding a location of the electrical-optical converter.

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65. A method, comprising:

transmitting one or more signals from a living subject that are indicative of a location of an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject;

receiving one or more optical power signals with the optical-electrical converter, which are transmitted transdermally into the living subject responsive to the transmitting; and

converting the one or more optical power signals into electrical energy using the optical-electrical converter.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprising powering at least one device disposed within the living subject using the electrical energy.

67. The method of claim 65, wherein the at least one device includes at least one of a drug delivery device, a micro-electro-mechanical device, a bone extension device, a biosensor, or a neurostimulator.

70. The method of claim 66, further comprising storing the electrical energy prior to powering the at least one device.

72. The method of claim 65, wherein transmitting one or more signals from a living subject that are indicative of a location of an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject includes reflecting the one or more signals from a location-indicating aid disposed at least proximate to the optical-electrical converter.

73. The method of claim 65, wherein transmitting one or more signals from a living subject that are indicative of a location of an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject includes transmitting one or more radio-frequency signals that encode the location of the optical-electrical converter.

74. The method of claim 65, wherein transmitting one or more signals from a living subject that are indicative of a location of an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject includes transmitting one or more optical signals that encode the location of the optical-electrical converter.

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